Memoires of Corn and pizza and more

So many food memories we're receiving are linked to childhood and our memories of home.....

What is your favorite food memory as a child?  I remember tussling with my dad over the corn.  It didn’t matter what form it was in, corn on the cob; fried corn; corn out of the can; whoever grabbed the platter or bowl first would say, “Does anyone else want any corn?”  It was a running joke in our family and still is!

What food best describes home for you?  White beans and corn cakes.  I am from the south, (Memphis, TN) and we fried everything.  We would take the hot corn cakes, which looked like pancakes, and put tons of white beans (also called Navy Beans) on top.  There was a lot of meat in those beans as well, usually some kind of ham or bacon.  I added lots of ketchup too.  Salmon patties were also a favorite. Loved biting into the bones!  Again, lots of ketchup!

What is your favorite food grown in Indiana and why?  Corn, see above answer! - Linda Eales, West Lafayette Public Library Board member and Assistant Curator, SAMARA House, West Lafayette



What is your favorite food memory?  During the winter time as a child my parents would have pizza from an Italian pizzeria that used their own homemade pizza sauce and made their own dough.  this was always our Sunday evening meal.

What food best describes home?  Homemade pizza
What is your favorite food grown in Indiana and why? Pork.  I love to slow smoke whole shoulders for about 12 hours at 210 degrees F in a smoker with fire box on mostly charcoal and hickory for an irresistible tasting chopped pork sandwich. - West Lafayette Library visitor, Anonymous



What is your favorite food memory as a child?  --Watermelon! My grandpa told me that, as a child, he was employed to walk through the watermelon fields. A truck would drive slowly through, and he and his friends would pick the melons and toss them in the truck. He said every once in a while they'd break a melon on their knee and eat the precious "heart" of the watermelon -- the part in the center that's seedless and must juicy. I always think of that story when I eat good watermelon. :)

What food best describes home for you? --Indiana sweet corn, by far. Grilling it, covering it with butter and salt, and sitting out side with family on a July evening.  - 2000's Purdue Graduate,  Anonymous